Great display but for the last 10 mins where we nearly fucking threw it away, we were in control up until Mulhall kicked a terrible kick out straight to Laois man that led to their first goal. Overall the players were excellent, Mulhall a little shaky in goals at times but should come good in few weeks. Carroll was my man of the match he was excellent

This was just a typical Offaly. You just knew that how no matter how far ahead we got, there would be a white knuckle finish.And so it was. Over the course of the game, Offaly played most of the good football and kicked the better scores. Leix created little and lived off Offaly mistakes for the most part and it nearly was enough for them. It took a valid point to be waved wide to rescue the day. It was the first bit of luck Offaly had all day.

However, Offaly fully deserved to win and fully deserved to maintain Div 3 status. In a tough campaign without some big names and some unfortunate defeats, it took a lot of guts to win the last 2 games.

Games like this are where real experience shines through (as opposed to just age). We don't have the experience of winning tight games with everything on the line like that. Sure, we've won a few close league games down the years, but that was the nearest thing to championship that you'll get and we had to be ten points the better team just to scrape through by one. The beauty of that is that you'd have to feel that there is real improvement to come, since stuff like that they will learn. The shot at the end looked over to me too, albeit you couldn't tell from the press box whether it curled in before or after crossing the dead ball line, but I've no sympathy for Laois - they scored a crucial point midway through the second half when either Guilfoyle or Carroll (can't remember which) made a wonderful mark from a kickout, looked to Nolan for the call, didn't get it and got turned over. Complete blank space moment from the referee, and no less crucial than Strong's shot at the end.

As for key moments that could so easily have been avoided, in the spirit of what I've mentioned above:

(1) For the first Laois goal: Mulhall looked for the short kickout, and didn't find one - fair enough. The ref was getting close to blowing for a throw up, so he just went long - and promptly put the ball down the right, on top of Niall Darby (not our biggest man) and three Laois men. Surely if he needed to panic, he could have at least gone to Eoin Carroll, or gone to where we had a numerically equal chance if nothing else? Panic stuff.

(2) All day long, we looked like scoring every time we went forward. I was hugely impressed in the first half - Panda was alone inside, Laois left three men back around him, so we said grand, carried it in and took some wonderful points from distance. Take what you're given, and make them think. It was only when we went ahead that we started the slower stuff in the corners, shuffling over and back, trying to run down the clock instead of win the game. We had the beating of them all day - keep going.

(3) The free at the end - I'm going to put a lot of this down to Stewart running in with a completely needless instruction to put it dead. Nigel Dunne had been outstanding all day in an understated way, didn't put a foot wrong. He had the range for that kick with ten yards to spare - why mess with his head? In the absence of McNamee, Dunne and Allen have become real leaders in the way they've played this Spring and he would have known to kick with conviction - truth be told, I'd have backed him to get it. No need to mess with lads' heads like that.

(4) Further to the mark not given, mentioned above. What annoyed me was that nobody went over and asked the question of Nolan when the play went dead, in a polite and respectful manner, why it wasn't given? He'd have brushed off the question and the asker, but it would have planted the seed of doubt in his mind - he would have known internally that he blackguarded Offaly, and the next dubious call would have gone our way, I'm not saying you go down the road of Rory Best or Richie McCaw, yabbering away in the ref's ear for the day, but be polite, be friendly, ask, and make him think.

(5) I'm delighted for Pat Flanagan, who I have great time for, and I think this was vindication of his leadership after a tough campaign with so many key men out. However it would be remiss not to point out the signal that was sent when John Moloney was sent on for Sean Doyle. It was a clear sign of retreat, which again did not suit. By all means replace Doyle if you want, but bring in Shane Tierney to keep the pressure on. Then bring on Moloney anyway, possibly for someone like Hanlon or Brazil, who put in a solid shift but had gone out of the game a bit. Overall we still don't use our subs enough - one enforced change in the first 60 minutes seems like a real lack of faith in your bench to me.

Overall however, that was a great win, and praise is fully merited for it.

kingscounty wrote:Carroll was my man of the match he was excellent

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Awesome stuff - his catch and quick reverse pass to set Nigel Dunne away for our opening goal was excellent in so many ways. I was lucky enough to be involved in a small role with the Offaly minors in 2011 and 2012 and I got to know most of those players. Eoin was a fine footballer then, but you wouldn't have said that he stood out from the rest of the pack, not in the same way that Peter Cunningham would have done at that age. But his drive and his edge to be as good as he can be stood out, so it's no coincidence that he, and Joey O'Connor who is cut from similar cloth, have become fixtures on this Offaly team. He's a joy to watch, and the closest thing we have to a modern day Ciarán McManus. Truly delighted for him.

Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Lone Shark wrote:they scored a crucial point midway through the second half when either Guilfoyle or Carroll (can't remember which) made a wonderful mark from a kickout, looked to Nolan for the call, didn't get it and got turned over. Complete blank space moment from the referee, and no less crucial than Strong's shot at the end .

Yeah think it was Guilfoyle that caught it (wonderful fielding). I'm not sure of the rule on this one but I definitely heard the ref blow the whistle and guilfoyle opted to play on and unfortunately lost possession.

Lone Shark wrote:they scored a crucial point midway through the second half when either Guilfoyle or Carroll (can't remember which) made a wonderful mark from a kickout, looked to Nolan for the call, didn't get it and got turned over. Complete blank space moment from the referee, and no less crucial than Strong's shot at the end .

Yeah think it was Guilfoyle that caught it (wonderful fielding). I'm not sure of the rule on this one but I definitely heard the ref blow the whistle and guilfoyle opted to play on and unfortunately lost possession.

Interesting. I was in the press box so wouldn't have heard the whistle, but Guilfoyle (let's presume it was him so) definitely looked towards the referee, and the ref definitely made no arm signal. But perhaps you need to step back, to show that you're not playing on - I'm not sure how that works?

Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Offaly maintained their status in Division 3 after a pulsating and dramatic encounter with local rivals Laois that sent the O'Moore County down to Division 4.Darren Strong's effort with the last kick of the game for Laois was touch and go whether it was over the bar but it was waved wide and Offaly survived by a point having led by seven points with 20 minutes to go.Laois got the opening two scores of the game after seven minutes but Offaly bounced back in style with 1-4 on the spin. Eoin Carroll and Joseph O'Connor landed fine points before Sean Doyle found the net in the 17th minute to leave them 1-4 to 0-2 in front.

Donie Kingston briefly interrupted the onslaught but the home side landed three scores from Eoin Carroll, Joseph O'Connor and Michael Brazil to push them 1-7 to 0-3 ahead on 23 minutes. With Carroll in a class of his own, he soon kicked his third point but Laois were given a lifeline with five minutes left in the half. Alan Mulhall misjudged a high ball and Kingston had the simplest of tasks to steer the ball to the empty net before Laois fired two more points to leave it 1-9 to 1-6 at half-time.

Graham Guilfoyle had Offaly's second goal a mere 20 seconds after the restart but Laois got right back in the game soon after when Kevin Meaney got his sides' second goal to leave it 2-10 to 2-6 after 40 minutes. The 45th minute was pivotal. David Hanlon powered through and fed Doyle for his second goal to put Offaly 3-11 to 2-8 in front. Referee Anthony Nolan then produced a second yellow for Kevin Meaney for an infringement in the lead up to the goal as things got worse for Laois.

Offaly stretched their lead to seven points with 20 minutes to go but Donie Kingston clipped a penalty to the corner on 59 minutes and the big full-forward completed his hat-trick three minutes later when he found the net at the second attempt as Offaly now only led by a point - 3-14 to 4-10 - with eight minutes to go.Bernard Allen and Donie Kingston exchanged points to leave one between them as injury time played out and Offaly hung on.

Well done to Pat Flanagan, his management team and the players yesterday. It was a very entertaining game and we stood up to the mark big time. They had the game won on at least two different occasions but mistakes allowed Laois back into it. Going into the game I was worried that the Laois midfield would be too strong for us but Eoin and Joey had huge games, two very athletic players with massive engines and the ability to turn on the gas when needed. I was delighted for everyone involved particularly after the total over reaction over the Armagh result. Once again, well done to all involved and let’s hope for a similar performance against Westmeath in a few weeks.

Square Cab wrote:I was delighted for everyone involved particularly after the total over reaction over the Armagh result. Once again, well done to all involved and let’s hope for a similar performance against Westmeath in a few weeks.

Overreaction? Surely when a team have a record defeat like that, the county are entitled to ask some questions. We got beaten by 30 odd points against a fellow division 3 team. Wondering if the team are playing for the manager or trying to find out what went wrong is fully within the entitlement of all involved - supporters, county board, etc. I would welcome such questioning as it shows that such performances are not acceptable and that we are not asleep at the wheel.

Well done to the team from recovering from that terrible performance. To get 4 points in the remaining games and put in a good show against Tipp is a good achievement.

Delighted with the win and especially since who it was against and who it relegated !!!!!

Negatives: Alan Mulhall: stinker for a couple of their goals, missing the ball in the air and taking out his full back leaving a free tap-in was one. Another was when big lad broke the ball, Alan stood rooted on his line when he could easily have collected the loose ball and they had another easy goal. A few of the kick-outs were disasters. Big improvement or Ken Garry !!!!

The other negative: seconds left, win a free, have extra man: play it short and hold possession, even it we had to work it all the way back BUT KEEP IT >>>> INSTEAD::: kicked away, not even having a go for the insurance score which was at least 50/50....... and yea: Nolan twice giving the Yellows to 2 LS defenders for dragging down forwards when both were Black offences......

Positives:::::::::; The win, the attitude, the Darby's , the 2 lads at midfield who worked their asses off and kicked great scores while Eoin & Graham made vital marks, Sean Doyle with 2 vital goals, Dunne & Panda doing their stuff...... David H ran his legs to stumps and was out on his feet at least 10 mins before he was subbed. Delay was costly..

Now for the Championship and a major score to settle and esp with one louser........

Square Cab wrote:I was delighted for everyone involved particularly after the total over reaction over the Armagh result. Once again, well done to all involved and let’s hope for a similar performance against Westmeath in a few weeks.

Overreaction? Surely when a team have a record defeat like that, the county are entitled to ask some questions. We got beaten by 30 odd points against a fellow division 3 team. Wondering if the team are playing for the manager or trying to find out what went wrong is fully within the entitlement of all involved - supporters, county board, etc. I would welcome such questioning as it shows that such performances are not acceptable and that we are not asleep at the wheel.

Well done to the team from recovering from that terrible performance. To get 4 points in the remaining games and put in a good show against Tipp is a good achievement.

You are obviously related to one of the two delegates!! Their comments were idiotic, baseless and clueless. Impossible to even defend that type of criticism. I hope their comments are retracted or an apology given at next county board meeting.

I too would have no problem with questioning. However this is how Matt Kelly was quoted:

He doesn’t know what he’s doing and the men around him seem to know less. I’d be looking for a change. It’s a scandal what’s going on. We’re wasting money on that man, he’s bringing nothing new, he’s a facility for some clubs to train, he trains players from certain clubs and he’s not interested in winning.

Now I will say that I wasn't at the meeting, but other journalists have recorded him as saying exactly that. Now at the risk of being a little pedantic, I don't hear a question in there - I just hear blunt, non-specific criticism without a single constructive element.

Now if somebody stood up at the meeting and asked specific questions, about things like the players' body fat percentages and bleep test results, about things like the type of training and the lack of a defensive structure, or about the mental state of a group that appeared to fold relatively easy when it became clear that winning the game was no longer on the table, I'd say they were far more reasonable and legitimate.

**I'd just like to point out here that I'm not saying that there are or aren't issues in any of those areas - merely that they would have been reasonable questions to ask, based on that one performance**

Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.